Air conditioning apparatus



June 6, 1944. K. TfDAvls 2,350,497

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Deo. 14, 1942 2 sheets-sheet 1 :aif9.1. i J r wf 1"' 20 fj' a I l T s "3" j T y v f 5 E 9 3 f' i iV l 'l Ls s 27 0/ 2f f7 2f l( 1 T June 6, 1944.

AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed DSG. 14. 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

K. T. DAvls l 2,350,497

Patented June 6, 1944 KeithV T.- Davis, Milwaukee,Wis;, assignor to L.J. Mueller Furnace Company; Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinAppucaumnecember 14, 1942; seri1-Nu.46s,913'

(o1. sasssi 7 Claims.

rIhis l invention relates 4to; improvements infair conditioningAapparatus, and more particularly-td a system.` for .buildingsorfenclosuresg ofa rever-SL ble. characterV susceptible oi beingoperated tvforheating purposes in -thevvinter and. forsummer comfortconditioning.

A generalobject of: the .invention is to provide an, apparatus-arranged..fori conventionallforced circulation WarmH air Winter` J heating,-together which permitsythe. forced. ,circulation of cool or conditionedtairthroughuthe bui1ding,.in summelxf A furtherpbject of the inventionis to provideA with a. novel arrangement of ducts -and dampers abuilding air` conditioningapparatus oftheicharacter describedwhich;during.;summer comforti conditioningfutilizes both. the supply Aducts.to` the 1 building rooms and .thenormalxreturnzductsaior rdischargingintoithe. rooms/,cooled or. conditioned l,

air.

.AA-further; object of the invention isl to provide an air conditioning`apparatus' which, Vfonsumrner; operation, draws a supply ofzrelatively,cool-aina into the .ian-orblovver casing K,throughinterposed l filtersorair treating mechanism so that the fair is influenced` thereby beforevbeing introduced :into -i the building rooms.

A further, object oithe .invention 'isf to. provide ,f

anair conditioningapparatus Which, for summer cooling actually:functions to push .1"i1tered-andA conditioned air. into the building.rooms-With the spent air being ultimately.;evacuatedmtlflroughV openwindows in .roomswhere na marked circulationlis desired.

A .further l obj ect: of .the .invention fis to 1provide an, vair,conditioning apparatus. Which-.When used-.-

for; summer. comfort conditioning.....in .,.localities havinglow.relative -humidities, may ,employl Van evaporative cooler. to.`conditionthe` air prio-roto the forcing of Vthe same into the buildingrooms.

A further object oi the invention is to provide an .air conditioningapparatus Vwhich mayl include an ,evaporative cooler WithoutJanyincrease in the size of the ducts .utilized bythe apparat-us Vwhen itfunctions as a heating apparatus.

A.` further -obj ect ofthe invention is to` provide..

an air conditioning apparatus operablefor summer comforty conditioning,which `exhausts air through a building Window and replaces, the air.

withcool outdoor night air which is first ltereda disagreeable dustandhay-fever irrito remove tants.

A further object of the invention is to provide an air conditioningapparatus primarily adaptedr/ for a Ahome orbuilding installation, butalso applicable to commercial or industrial usages Where;Y in the vairin an enclosure should, because of in; dustrial operationsl therein, besusceptible ofhave ingv its Acharacteristics and temperature` quickly Afurther obj ect of lthe invention is to'provide' lmerfusey f coai-reuzhtair; furnace, buurt should ueffune adual purpose air conditioning'apparatus Which is of very simple'4 construction, which may loe easilychangedover from heating'to' cooling' duties by simple manipulations,which is fefcientin' o'p eration, and which Visvvell :adaptedfori'thepur'- poses described. n

With theabove and fot-her objects inf vievv,'the`` invention consists ofthe improved air jc'ondition-,A ing apparatus and its partsandcombinations ask set forthinthe'clairnsfand all equivalentsjthereoi:

In the-'accompanyingdrawings, inJWhichlthej same reference-characterslindicate nthe same parts in-all of-tlievievi/s:47E K l u Fig.A 1 -isasemi-schematic;"fragmentaryjvertie g cal@ sectional view through theLlowerportieri ofi a-buildingequipped wi-t-h the' improvedairoorie"ditioniiig'apparatus; f l

Fig. 2V is a Ivertical sectional-view thro-ugh air conditioningapparatus, as adjstedfor sum# stoodthatwithin'the contemplationoiftheinven-fI myiof'zth father fcunveritiou'nffueis. Il also; steanfiorihotwater'heat exchanger coils,r "could be' usd' I 1 is a blower orfan casing 2| which, in its lower portion, houses a conventional motoroperated blower 22. A chamber 23 surmounts the blower casing 2|, andtherebelow, in the' form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 2, arefilter screens f 24. A main trunk duct 25, which for winter heatingpurposes functions as the cold air return duct for the apparatus, opensinto an auxiliary.

chamber formed in the upper portion of the chamber 23 by an interposeddamper 32. This main trunk duct has connected to it the ends of returnair ducts 25 which lead away from' return air registers 21 located inthe base porl An inlet air duct 28,` for summer usage, opens f.

into the casing 2I-23 above the filters 24 and below the damper 32. Thelast mentioned duct 28 may either extend to exteriorly of the building,or it may terminate within the building basement, it being optional anddependent upon the best source of cool air in the summertime. There isalso .a duct 29 constituting a direct connection or by-pass between theheating apparatus plenum chamber I8 and the auxiliary chamber in theupper portion of member 23. Likewise, at the lower portion of the blowercasing 2| there is a duct or connection 30 extending between thedischarge or outlet side of the blower /22 and the air space, within theheating apparatus casing I1. Flow of air through the upper connection-29 is controlled by a manually operated damper 3|. As mentioned, thedamper 32 separates the auxiliary vchamber in the upper portion ofmember 23 from the base or fan chamber 2|, thellast mentioned damperbeing disposed above the, discharge end 4of the cool air inlet duct 2Bandmbelow the openings of the ducts 25 and 29 respectively. Within thecool air inlet duct 28 there is a thirdi damper 33. The dampers 3|, 32,and 33 areof conventional construction and will not be described indetail.A Suffice it to say that each damper is composed of a pluralityof pivotal louvers having a link `connection with one another and withan operating rod and lever extending exteriorly of the duct or chamberin which the damper is installed, so that each damper may be manuallymoved fromV open to closed position, orvicefversa.

--The improved air conditioning apparatus Ais, 'I

adapted to function in its customary manner in the wintertime forheatingpurposes. Fuel is burned within the pot I6 of the unit I5, and theblower 22, within the casing 2|, is operated in the customarymanner. Itshould be specifically noted that for winter operation the dampers 3|,32, and 33 are adjusted in a manner opposite to that illustrated' inFig. 2. The dampers should be set sothat damper 3| is closed, damper 32Yis open, anddamper 33 is partially or completely closed. The air to beheated circulates, in the space between the pot I6 and the casing I1,rising into the. heating apparatus' plenum chamber I8, and beingrdischarged into the alr supply ducts I9. The latter connect with thewarm air registers 28 in the rooms of the building and discharge heatedair into the rooms. Asroom air coolsl it drops and returns totheapparatus I4 by entering thev return `air registers 21 from,y

whence the air is drawn through the returnair ducts 26 into theauxiliarychamberZB. The fan or blower 22 induces the desiredcirculation, and due to the settings of the various dampers the returncool air is drawn through the filters 24 or other'conditoning medium andis subsequently discharged by the blower through the connection 30 intothe lower portion of the heating apparatus casing I1 for re-heating andre-circulation.

For summer usage the heating apparatus is not fired. The dampers 3|, 32,and 33 are arranged in the manner shown in Fig. 2 with the damper 3|open, the damper 32 closed, and the damper 33 open. Through thisarrangement of dampers it will be noted that the auxiliary chamber, intowhich the return air ducts open, is directly connected with the plenumchamber I8 of the apparatus I5. The aforesaid auxiliary chamber is shutoff from the fan chamber and is furthermore shut 01T from the summerinletair duct 28, which now opens into the fan chamber above the filtersor conditioning unit. Operation of the blower 22 vcauses relatively cool air to be drawn into the upper portion of the casing 2| through thesummer air inlet duct 28. The latter obtains its air supply from thebasement of the building or from the outside, depending upon whichprovides the best source of cool air. This ysupply of cool air, afterbeing drawn through the filters or conditioning unit 24, is blown intothe space of the apparatus I5 between the casing and pot, and thenpasses into and through the various supply ducts I9 and the ducts 25(which for winter purposes are return air ducts). It is one of theparticular features of the invention that for4 summer conditioning airissupplied to the rooms of the building not only through the normalsupply ducts I9, but also through the ducts .25,whereby the number ofavailable air supply ducts is increased and air is discharged into therooms of the dwelling through both the registers 20 and 21. Y Cool andfiltered air is thus discharged into the house in very ample quantities.If a marked circulation is desirable in any of the rooms, one or more ofthe windows I 0 may be' opened, through which the undesirable room airmay bey purged.

A slightly modified form of the invention is i1- lustrated in Fig. 4wherein the heating apparatus AvI5' is the same as that illustrated inconnection with the principal form of the invention. However, in lieu ofthe blower and iilter casing 2| of Fig. 2, there is, in themodification, a casing 2 If which houses a conventional form ofevaporative cooler.

rThe inlet side ofthe evaporative cooler casing 2| is covered by ascreen 40 and carries an extension 4|, the major portion of which' maybe considered as a part vof the cooler or fan casing 2|. Opening intothetop of the extension 4| are one or more return air pipes 25 which,asin the principal form of the invention, extend to return air registersin the lower portions of rooms in the building. The upper auxiliarychamber portion of the extension casing 4| is furthermore in directcommunication with the plenum chamber I8' of the heating apparatus I5 bya duct or conduit 29 having one end thereof controlled by a damper3I.Within the upper portion ofthe Aextension 4I and slightly below the openendsofthe vducts 25 and 29 and defining the auxiliary chamber there is adamper 32'. Opening into'the extension 4| below the i damper 32 is acool air inlet duct 28', used time, and having its discharge endcontrolled by.r a damper 33'.

Relatively dry air, during summer operation of the apparatus, passesfrom the air inlet duct 28' into the extension 4I, through the screen40, and into the evaporative cooler casing 2I. There the air is treatedby a water spraying apparatus 42 and is subsequently drawn through amoistened lter pad. Within the other side of the evaporative cooler 2l'is a blower 22' which forcefully discharges the cleansed, cooled andwater-treated air into the space between the heating apparatus pot I6and its casing l'I, it being noted that there is a connection 30 betweenthe discharge end of the blower 22 and the interior of the furnacecasing I'. Subsequently the circulation of cooled and conditioned air issimilar to that described in connection with the principal form of theinvention, and said cooled and conditioned air passes through the ducts25' as well as the normal ducts I9', entering the building rooms throughthe warm air registers and the return air registers. Obviously forsummer operation the damper-s 3|', 32', and 33' are arranged asdisclosed in Fig. 4. When the modified form of apparatus is used inwinter lfor heating purposes, said dampers are reversed. The modied formof apparatus, for summer use, nds its greatest utility in localitieswhere the relative humidity is generally low. Evaporative coolingordinarily requires a substantial number of air changes per hour. If anevaporative cooler were to use only the normal duct work of a hot airheating apparatus, for proper operation the duct work would have to beof substantially larger cross-section than is ordinarily required forheating purposes, and i-t would obviously not be economical to make aheating apparatus over size to permit its use in summer for coolingpurposes as during the heating seafson the same would producesubstantial heat losses. These contingencies are nicely taken care of inthe form of the invention illustrated in Fig. 4 because for coolingpurposes the heating apparatus return air ducts serve with the normalhot air ducts for supplying cool and conditioned air to the buildingrooms. This, therefore, greatly increases the duct work capacity andadapts it for the evaporative cooler installation.

It is a recognized fact that successful operation of an evaporativecooler cannot be accomplished if conditioned air is recirculated becauseair passed through the evaporative cooler is subjected to a water sprayand if an attempt were made to subsequently recirculate this air andpass it through the cooler it would not be dry air. The improvement ofFig. 4 eliminates this difficulty by introducing new air into the coolerduring summer operation. In a conventional heating system, if anevaporative cooler were used in conjunction therewith, only half of thevalue of its duct work would be usable, inasmuch as return flow to theconditioning apparatus 4would be detrimental to successful operationbecause such return air would not be dry air, as above pointed out.

While the specioation speaks of cool air in connection with operationduring the summer cycle it is the intent that this term include airwhose source may be only the basement of the building, or the outside,inasmuch as nighttime outdoor air is generally cooler than air within abuilding or enclosure. Hence the above-mentioned term should includefresh air, outside air, new air, or make-up air according totheimplication of these terms in the air conditioning art.

For purposes of illustration the apparatus I4 has been shown anddescribed as being installed in the basement of a building. The practiceas to the location of installations of this general character differs indifferent localities, and according to the types of buildings ordwellings. Hence, it should be understood that where conditions make itadvisable the apparatus I4 might be installed in the attic, closet,utility room, or porch of a building.

The term building as used herein is lntended to include enclosuresgenerally and a room might be a chambered portion of' an enclosure.Conceivably the improved apparatus might be applied -to commercial orindustrial usages and operate to quickly change the characteristic andtemperature of a chamber or room wherein operations were being performedon industrial products.

The improved air conditioning apparatus is economical and efficient andprovides a dual system adapted for winter and summer conditioning. Forsummertime the new air from a selected source is ltered and conditionedbefore being passed into the rooms of the building, and it is aparticular feature of the invention that when the apparatus is operatedfor cooling purposes the duct work which normally serves a-s conduitsfor return air then is added to the normally used air supply duct workand increases the duct work functioning for conditioned air supplypurposes. The apparatus is easily manually changed over from one use tothe other, is of simple and novel construction, and is well adapted forthe purposes set forth.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, an enclosure having a chamber therein to be airconditioned, said enclosure also having associated therewith a forcedwarm air circulating system provided with separated inlet and outletchambers and an intermediate air chamber therebetween and in directcommunication with both of the aforesaid chambers, air distributing ductwork between said outlet chamber and the enclosure chamber, secondaryduct work between the enclosure chamber and said system inlet chamber, aby-pass connection between said system inlet and outlet chambers, a fanwithin said inlet chamber, an air supply duct opening into said inletchamber, a damper controlling air flow through said duct, a dampercontrolling the by-pass connection between the outlet and inletchambers, and a third damper within the inlet chamber controllingcommunication between the secondary duct work and the inlet chamber.

2. In combination, an enclosure having therein a forced warmair'circulating system provided with separated fan and outlet chambersand an intermediate chamber therebetween and in direct communicationwith both of the aforesaid chambers, the fan chamber having an auxiliarychamber, air distributing duct work between said outlet chamber and aspace in the enclosure, secondary duct Work between a space in theenclosure and said auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between saidoutlet and auxiliary chambers, a controlled air supply duct opening intosaid fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between the outletand auxiliary chambers, and another damper controlling air flow betweenthe auxiliary chamber and the fan chamber.

3. In combination, a building having therein a Y forced warm aircirculating system adapted'to be red only for winter operation andprovided withseparated fan and outlet chambers and an intermediatechamber therebetween and in direct communication with both of theaforesaid chambers, the fan chamber having an auxiliary chamber, airdistributing duct work between said outlet chamber and a space in thebuilding, secondary duct Work between a space in the buildf ing and saidauxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said outlet and auxiliarychambers forming communication between the outlet chamberand auxiliaryduct work, ya controlled air supply duct opening into said fan chamber,a damper controlling the connection between the outlet and auxiliarychambers which when open for summer operation causes the secondary ductwork to augment the distributing duct work for the delivery ofconditioned air in an outward direction to the building space and whichwhen closed for winter operation carries return air in a reversedirection, and another damper controlling communication between theauxiliary and fan chambers adapted to be closed for summer operation ofthe system and open for winter operation of the system.

l 4. In combination, a building having therein a forced warm aircirculating system including a hot air heating unit fired only forwinter operation and an air conditioning unit, said air conditioningunit having a fan chamber and an auxiliary chamber, and the heating unithaving a plenum chamber, the heating unit forming an intermediatechamber between the fan chamber and the plenum chamber and being indirect communication with both, air distributing duct work between saidplenum chamber and a space in the building, secondary duct work betweena space in the building and said auxiliary chamber, a direct connectionbetween said plenum and auxiliary chambers, a controlledvair supply ductopening into said fan chamber, a damper controlling the connectionbetween 'the plenum and auxiliary chambers which when open for summeroperation causes the secondary duct work -to be directly connected withthe distributing duct work to augment the latter for the outwarddelivery of conditioned air to the building space andV which when closedfor winter operation carries .return air in a reverse direction to theauxiliary chamber, and another damper controlling communication betweenthe auxiliary and fan chambers adapted to be closed for summer operationof the system and open for winter operation of the system. f

5, In combination, a building having therein a forced warm aircirculating system, including a hot air heating unit red only for winteroperation and an air conditioning unit, said airconditioning unit havinga fanchamber and an auxiliary chamber, and the `heating unit havingauplenum chamber, the heating unit being connected to and forming anintermediate chamber between the fan `chamber and the plenum cham ber,air distributing duct work between said plenum chamber and a space inthe building, secondary duct work between a space in the building andsaid auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said plenum andauxiliary chambers, an inlet duct for new air opening intosaid fanchamber, a damper controlling air flow from said duct to the fanchamber, a damper controlling the connection between the plenum andauxiliary chambers which when open for summer operation causes thesecondary duct work to be connected with the distributing `duct work toaugment the latter for the outward def livery of conditioned air to thebuilding space and which when closed for winter operation carries returnair in a reverse direction to the auxil iary chamber, and another dampercontrolling communication between the auxiliary and` fan chambersadapted to be closed for summer operation of the system and open vforwinter operation of the system. v j

6. In combination, a building having therein a forced warm aircirculating unit red only for winter operation and an airconditioningunlt, said air conditioning unit having a chamber with a fanand an air treating device there adjacent, the air conditioning unitalso having an auxiliary chamber, the heating unit having a plenumchamber and also forming an intermediate chamber between and incommunication with the fan chamber and the plenum chamber through whichair is circulated from the air conditioning unit by the operation of thefan, air distributing duct work between said plenum chamber and a spacein the building, secondary duct work be'- tween a space in the buildingandsaid auxiliary chamber, a direct connection between said plenum andauxiliary chambers, an inlet duct lor new air communicating with theair.

treating device and fan chamber, a damper controlling air iiow from saidduct to the fan chamber, a damper controlling the connection between theplenum and auxiliary chambers which when open for summer operationcauses the secondary duct work to be connected with the distributingduct work to augment the latter for the outward `delivery of conditionedair to thebuilding space and which when closed for winter operationcarries return air in a reverse direction to the auxiliary chamber, andanother damper controlling communication between the auxiliary and fanchambers adapted to be closed for summer operation of the'system and lorwinter operation of the system.

7. Air conditioning apparatus for a building having a room therein, saidroom having a main opening and a secondary opening, a blower unit and anair tempering unit, an independent plenum chamber embodied in each ofthe units, a connection between said chambers, :an air supply ductconnecting the room main opening with the tempering unit plenum chamber,a secondary duct connecting the room secondary opening with the blowerunit plenum chamber, being adapted primarily for the suction return ofair when the apparatus is functioning for heating purposes, a ductconnecting the blower unit with the tempering unit, an air supply ductin direct communication with the blower unit, a damper located acrossthe connection between the plenum chambers, a damper located across theair supply duct, and a damper located across the blower unit plenumchamber, adjustments of several of said dampers serving to shut 01T theauxiliary duct from the blower unit and to connect the same with thetempering unit plenum chamber whereby all of the ducts function for acommon out draft of air through the main and secondary openings into thebuilding room.

open

KEITH T. Davis.`

